CEBU City is now classified as “very low risk” for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Octa Research said Wednesday, October 27, 2021.
Octa, an independent group of researchers who have been studying the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, said it gauges the risk level on several indicators of Covid-19 transmission in an area, including the average daily attack rate (Adar), reproduction rate and positivity rate.
The group said that as of October 26, the Adar in Cebu City was low at 1.72 per 100,000 per day, while the reproduction number was at 0.42.
It said the healthcare utilization in the city was at 19 percent, while the testing positivity rate was two percent.
“Note that this does not reflect alert level ratings used by the DOH (Department of Health) and IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases),” Octa said.
On the other hand, the National Capital Region (NCR), Rizal, Cavite, Batangas and Davao City were classified as “low risk.”
NCR’s Adar was 6.73 per 100,000 per day, while the reproduction number was 0.52.
The positivity rate in NCR was six percent, while healthcare utilization was 35 percent.
Health care utilization in Rizal, Cavite, Batangas and Davao City were all “healthy” under 60 percent, but Rizal’s intensive care unit utilization was at critical level at 94 percent.
Among the NCR+8 areas, only Laguna and Pampanga remain under moderate risk due to their testing positivity rate at 13 and 11 percent, respectively.
“Once the positivity rate drops to 10 percent, Laguna and Pampanga will likely be classified as low risk as well,” the group said.
On October 25, the DOH said the Philippines was already at low risk classification for Covid-19 following the drop of the national hospital utilization rate, Adar and Covid-19 growth rate.
On October 26, the DOH recorded 4,393 fresh coronavirus infections nationwide.
The Philippines on Tuesday, October 26, logged a total caseload of 2,765,672 with 42,077 Covid-19 deaths and 2,669,953 recoveries.
In Cebu City Wednesday, Councilor Joel Garganera, deputy chief implementer of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), expressed elation at Cebu City’s categorization as very low risk, the lowest in the whole country.
“I am very happy. I hope that we will really continue to adhere to the health protocols and above all that we will really strengthen our vaccination. It is the weapon that will enable us to navigate this health and economic crisis. And I will add that we will have a brighter Christmas if we include ventilation in enclosed areas such as restaurants, bars and including public transportation,” Garganera said.
EOC data showed that only two barangays recorded double-digit active cases of Covid-19 as of Oct. 27.
Barangays Guadalupe and Tisa had the most number of cases among the city’s 80 barangays, but their active cases were only 11 and 10 in the past 10 days.
The barangays ranked third to 10th had just nine to five active cases over the same period, while the remaining barangays had four to zero active cases each.
Garganera said Cebu City recorded just 11 new cases on Oct. 26, for a daily positivity rate of 1.26 percent from 871 people tested.
He added that only 148 Covid-19 patients were currently being treated in the city’s hospitals. (TPM / SunStar Philippines, PAC / CTL)